Department for Communities and Local Government

Local Government: Food

Baroness Byford: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many, and which, councils in England have followed the example of Hampshire and set up locally sourced food supplies for their schools or other council-run organisations.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: The Department does not hold information on the number of councils that have set up locally sourced food supplies for school and other council-run organisations. However we encourage councils to use local goods and services in any of their procurement and commissioning activity, and to be open and transparent to their local community.

Parish Councils: Ballots

Baroness Scott of Needham Market: To ask Her Majesty’s Government when they expect to publish the new rules governing the conduct of parish polls.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: Last summer, the Government sought the views of the National Association of Local Councils on new regulations governing the conduct of parish polls. We are now considering how best to take this matter forward with the view to having new regulations for parish polls in place as soon as practicable and in any event by summer.

Green Belt

Lord Patten: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Williams of Trafford on 2 February (HL5483), when they next expect to review their national policy on development in Green Belt land in England.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: At the General Election this Government reaffirmed its commitment to maintaining the strong protection for the Green Belt set out in the National Planning Policy Framework. The Framework makes clear that most new building is inappropriate there, and that a Green Belt boundary may be altered only in exceptional circumstances, using the Local Plan process. We have no plans for a review of Green Belt policy. However, we are consulting on proposals to allow development on brownfield sites in Green Belt for starter homes, and for neighbourhood plans to be able to allocate Green Belt land for small starter home developments where locally approved.

Housing Estates: Regeneration

Lord Kennedy of Southwark: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what budgets and programmes have been established since 2014 to help the regeneration of council housing estates.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: A total of £290 million of loan funding has been allocated by the Government to help the regeneration of local authority housing estates. The first tranche of this funding was announced jointly between the Greater London Authority and the Department for Communities and Local Government on 13 June 2014, and the second was announced by the my rt. hon. Friend, the Prime Minister on 11 January 2016.

Social Rented Housing

Lord Kennedy of Southwark: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment, consultation and other work was carried out to establish the Pay to Stay thresholds at £30,000 and £40,000, outside and in London, respectively.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: The starting gross income threshold of £30,000 nationally is above the median average household income figure, which is just over £26,000 based on evidence from the Family Resources Survey - this figure represents gross income of the ‘household reference person’ plus a partner. It is only fair that social tenants who can pay more should pay more. There are more than 40,000 tenants in social housing who benefit from subsidised rents but where the annual household income is over £50,000. The Government consulted in October 2015 on a proposal for a taper which, if introduced. would ensure that rent rises are affordable for those households above the thresholds and protect the incentive to find and keep work.

Landlords

Lord Greaves: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their technical or legal definition of a "rogue landlord".

Baroness Williams of Trafford: The term "rogue landlord" is widely understood in the lettings industry to describe a landlord who knowingly flouts their obligations by renting out unsafe and substandard accommodation to tenants, many of whom may be vulnerable. The Housing and Planning Bill contains a number of measures to help local authorities crack down on rogue landlords and force them to either improve or leave the sector.

Local Government: Devolution

Lord Pearson of Rannoch: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what consideration they have given to the risk that their policy of further localism might lead to local authorities with high Muslim populations adopting Sharia law, if current trends in birth rate continue.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: This is not viewed as a risk by the Government. Localism does not mean that national law can be contravened, nor does it allow the creation of local court systems. Legislation remains the responsibility of Parliament, not local authorities.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Israel: Palestinians

Lord Turnberg: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have made to the government of Palestine about recent pronouncements by Mr Abbas praising the actions of Palestinians who have killed Israeli civilians.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: On 17 December, our Deputy Consul General in Jerusalem raised comments attributed to President Abbas, characterising events since last October as a “justified popular uprising”, with the President's Diplomatic Adviser, Majdi Khaldi. Mr Khaldi informed us that President Abbas condemned violence against Israelis and Palestinians.On several occasions in recent months, our Consul General in Jerusalem has expressed our deep concern about comments made by other Palestinian figures.

Mohammed al-Qeeq

Baroness Tonge: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have made to the government of Israel about allowing Mohammed Al -Qeeq to transfer to a hospital in Ramallah from Afula Hospital; and what further representations they plan to make concerning the use of torture in Israeli prisons.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: While we have not made any representations on this specific case, officials from our Embassy in Tel Aviv are following this case and those of the other hunger strikers closely and have spoken to Amnesty International about them. Officials from our Consulate General in Jerusalem maintain a dialogue with the relevant Palestinian organisations about the condition of the hunger strikers. The EU in Jerusalem recently issued a local statement on administrative detentions, including the case of Mr Al Qeeq. We have been informed that Mr al-Qeeq is in a stable condition and has not been forced-fed as alleged.We remain concerned about Israel’s extensive use of administrative detention which, according to international law, should be used only when security makes this absolutely necessary rather than as routine practice, and as a preventive rather than a punitive measure. We also have concerns about mistreatment of Palestinian detainees and about Israel’s respect of its obligations in this regard as an Occupying Power under applicable international law. We have raised concerns over treatment of Palestinian detainees with the Israeli authorities on many occasions, including at Foreign Minister, Attorney General and National Security Adviser levels.

Yemen: Military Intervention

The Earl of Clancarty: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether UK advisers have highlighted to the government of Saudi Arabia the status of Yemeni cultural heritage, including the list of sites provided by the International Committee of the Blue Shield to the Ministry of Defence.

The Earl of Clancarty: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what response they have made to the destruction and damage to cultural heritage sites in Yemen by the Saudi Arabian-led intervention, including the destruction of the Old City of Sana'a, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: We remain concerned about any damage to cultural property in Yemen and are aware of reports of alleged damage by actors in the conflict. Yemen and many members of the Saudi-led coalition are parties to the 1954 Hague Convention on the Protection of Cultural Property in the event of Armed Conflict and to the 1972 World Heritage Convention. We have raised our concerns regarding protection of cultural property with both the Government of Yemen and the Saudi Arabian government.

Northern Ireland Office

Belfast Agreement

Lord Laird: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what process exists for UK citizens to question the working of the Belfast Agreement 1998.

Lord Dunlop: The public has the right to raise issues by contacting the Government or their local representative.

Belfast Agreement

Lord Laird: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will place in the Library of the House the minutes of all meetings and discussion that have taken place with the government of the Republic of Ireland under the auspices of the Belfast Agreement 1998.

Lord Dunlop: The UK and Irish Governments meet regularly both at ministerial and official level to discuss issues of mutual interest and concern including matters relating to the implementation of the Belfast Agreement in each jurisdiction. There are no plans to place the minutes of meetings in the Library of the House.

Belfast Agreement

Lord Laird: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of the impact of the Belfast Agreement 1998 on the UK and Irish legal systems.

Lord Laird: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the Belfast Agreement 1998 applies to all residents of the UK and the Republic of Ireland.

Lord Laird: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the Belfast Agreement 1998 applies to members of the British security forces.

Lord Dunlop: The Belfast Agreement paved the way for power-sharing in Northern Ireland and set out a plan for devolved government in Northern Ireland on a stable and inclusive basis.The Agreement is made up of two inter-related documents, both agreed in Belfast on 10 April 1998:a multi-party agreement by most of Northern Ireland's political parties;an international agreement between the British and Irish governments (the British-Irish Agreement).The Agreement set out a series of provisions relating to a number of areas including:The status and system of government of Northern Ireland within the United Kingdom. (Strand 1)The relationship between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. (Strand 2)The relationship between the Republic of Ireland and the United Kingdom. (Strand 3)Key provisions of the Belfast Agreement 1998 were brought into effect by the Northern Ireland Act 1998.

Belfast Agreement

Lord Laird: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether their policy of transparency applies to the Belfast Agreement 1998, and if not, why not.

Lord Dunlop: This Government is committed to transparency across a range of areas, including in respect of its role in the implementation of successive political Agreements in Northern Ireland.

British Irish Intergovernmental Conference

Lord Laird: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will place the minutes of the British-Irish Intergovernmental Conference since 1998 in the Library of the House.

Lord Laird: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Dunlop on 9 February (HL5480), why that answer does not list (1) the precise dates in 2007 on which the British-Irish Intergovernmental Conference met; (2) the specific topics discussed on each date; (3) who attended each meeting; and (4) what actions were taken as a result of each meeting.

Lord Dunlop: The British-Irish Intergovernmental Conference met on one occasion during 2007, 26 February in Dundalk. This was the last time that the body met. Details of Ministerial attendees and the topics discussed were published in a Joint Communiqué between the two Governments. A copy of this has been placed in the Library (along with copies of all other Joint Communiques published since 1998). Although a range of issues were discussed, no formal actions were listed. The focus however at the time was the drive towards devolution and the Conference urged all political leaders to act with courage and determination in order to attain this. Assembly elections subsequently took place in May 2007.

Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe

Lord Laird: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether membership of the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe requires them to regard all citizens in the UK to be equal and thus requiring equal treatment by law.

Lord Dunlop: In the UK, The Equality Act 2010 legally protects people from discrimination in the workplace and in wider society. The Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) has many commitments that recall that all persons are equal before the law and are entitled without any discrimination to the equal protection of the law.

Equality: Northern Ireland

Lord Laird: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Dunlop on 27 November 2015 (HL3723), what difference, if any, there is between people in Northern Ireland and people of Northern Ireland in the application of their policies.

Lord Dunlop: In this context there is no difference between people ‘in’ Northern Ireland and people ‘of’ Northern Ireland.

Belfast Agreement

Lord Laird: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Dunlop on 19 January (HL4894) concerning the Belfast Agreement 1998, what is meant by "mutual interest and concern".

Lord Dunlop: Mutual interest and concern refers to matters that are of shared relevance or importance to the participants in the discussions, in this case the UK and Irish Governments.

Human Rights: Northern Ireland

Lord Laird: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether those who work, or worked, in Northern Ireland, but reside in Great Britain, are entitled to the same level of equality and human rights as those who reside in Northern Ireland.

Lord Dunlop: In accordance with its obligations under the terms of the devolved arrangements, the Government is committed to promoting the same level of equality and human rights across the United Kingdom.

Belfast Agreement: Republic of Ireland

Lord Laird: To ask Her Majesty’s Government on what occasions the government of the Republic of Ireland reported on its implementation of the Belfast Agreement 1998 in the areas of human rights, equality and parity of esteem in the Republic; what were the dates of those occasions; where any such meetings took place; who attended those meetings; and what conclusions were reached.

Lord Dunlop: The UK and Irish Governments meet regularly at ministerial and official level to discuss issues of mutual interest and concern. These include matters relating to the implementation of the Agreements which underpin the political settlement in Northern Ireland.

Belfast Agreement

Lord Laird: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what meetings under the Belfast Agreement 1998 can be attended by members of the public.

Lord Dunlop: Meetings between the UK Government, Irish Government and Northern Ireland political parties, such as those which took place that led to the Fresh Start Agreement, are held in accordance with the three-stranded approach established by the Belfast Agreement. Such political talks are held in private but are attended by representative politicians.

North South Ministerial Council Joint Secretariat

Lord Laird: To ask Her Majesty’s Government on how many occasions information has been requested under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 concerning meetings of the North/South Ministerial Council Secretariat set up as a result of the Belfast Agreement 1998; whether each request was granted, and if not, why not.

Lord Dunlop: The Northern Ireland Office has not received any Freedom of Information requests concerning meetings of the North/South Ministerial Council Secretariat set up as a result of the Belfast Agreement 1998.

Terrorism: Northern Ireland

Lord Lexden: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many claims for compensation by the victims of terrorism in Northern Ireland remain outstanding.

Lord Dunlop: Matters relating to policing and justice were devolved to the Northern Ireland Executive in 2010 by the Northern Ireland (Devolution of Policing and Justice Functions Order) 2010. As a consequence, responsibility for compensation of the victims of terrorism in Northern Ireland now rests with the Northern Ireland Executive, and in particular the Department of Justice for Northern Ireland (DOJNI), which oversees the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme.

Attorney General

Culture, Practices and Ethics of the Press Inquiry

Lord Stevenson of Balmacara: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the answer by Baroness Neville-Rolfe on 26 January (HL Deb, col 1152), which two cases remain outstanding in respect of preventing Leveson part 2 from taking place.

Lord Keen of Elie: The Crown Prosecution Service is at present giving investigative advice to the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) in respect of two pre charge investigations, which fall under Operation Tuleta and Operation Elveden.In addition, the CPS has also received Victims' Right to Review correspondence in relation to its recent decision not to charge ten individual journalists who worked at Mirror Group Newspapers for allegations of phone hacking at Mirror Group Newspapers, as part of Operation Golding. This correspondence is currently being considered.

Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

Trade Missions

Lord Browne of Belmont: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what joint trade missions have been undertaken by the UK and the Republic of Ireland since 2010.

Lord Maude of Horsham: Since 2010, UK Trade and Investment (UKTI) and Enterprise Ireland have organised a joint trade mission to the Singapore Air Show in February 2014.Her Majesty’s Government is committed to helping UK business succeed overseas, including in the Republic of Ireland where UKTI is represented and is actively promoting trade and investment between our two countries.

Student Unions

Lord Stoddart of Swindon: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether student unions are in receipt of public funds, and whether all university students are obliged to join unions.

Baroness Evans of Bowes Park: Individual students’ unions are principally funded through their university/college on either a per capita or a block grant basis, alongside funds raised through their commercial activities.The Government does not provide funding to student unions directly, but student unions may receive some public funding indirectly through payments made by their establishment. .The Education Act 1994 requires publicly-funded universities to take reasonable steps to ensure that their students’ union observes the right for students to opt out of membership. Students who exercise this right cannot be unfairly disadvantaged with regard to the services at the university. The university must draw up a code of practice setting out how these requirements will be put into effect.

Students: Plagiarism

Lord Storey: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Evans of Bowes Park on 26 January (HL5024), what is the timeframe of the discussions about the legality of essay mills between the Consumer and Markets Authority and the Quality Assurance Agency.

Baroness Evans of Bowes Park: The Quality Assurance Agency have now met with the Competition and Markets Authority and are considering further how to take this forward.

Students: Plagiarism

Lord Storey: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Evans of Bowes Park on 26 January (HL5024), what systems are in place to ensure that a standardised approach is taken by higher education institutions in relation to dealing with cheating, and to encourage best practice relating to plagiarism.

Baroness Evans of Bowes Park: Higher education institutions are independent and autonomous bodies and are required to comply with the UK Quality Code for Higher Education, which requires that ‘assessment is equitable, valid and reliable’. As such, institutions are expected to have clear policies on cheating and plagiarism.As part of its cyclical review of UK universities and colleges, the Quality Assurance Agency (QAA) reports publicly on its findings, including if there are concerns relating to plagiarism.

Horticulture: Living Wage

Baroness Byford: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the introduction of the National Living Wage on horticultural businesses that employ large numbers of seasonal workers.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe: The Government’s Impact Assessment for the introduction of the National Living Wage estimates that around 20,000 workers in the agriculture sector – including horticultural businesses - will be covered by the National Living Wage in its first year.. To help businesses with the costs of implementing the National Living Wage Government is raising the Employer Allowance, cutting corporation tax, and setting the Annual Investment Allowance at a new permanent level of £200,000. The Government is also taking steps that will specifically help horticultural businesses with the introduction of the National Living Wage. The Government is enabling farmers to average their profits over five years rather than two for income tax purposes to provide greater financial security, and it is establishing Level 2/3 horticulture apprenticeships. The Government’s proposals to devolve the power to extend Sunday trading hours will benefit the horticultural sector. The Horticultural Trades Association (HTA), which represents garden centres, many of which are rural SMEs, estimates that Sunday trading restrictions cost the industry £75 million per annum in lost sales.

Department for Education

Further Education

Baroness Rebuck: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the requirement for all learners who did not achieve a Level 2 in English and maths by the age of 16 to continue to study those subjects post-16 since its introduction.

Lord Nash: We publish analysis on English and maths attainment by students aged 16 to 18 who did not achieve A* to C by the end of key stage 4 in an annual experimental Statistical First Release. The latest release (relating to 2013/14) is attached and also available online. [1] The next publication will provide data relating to 2014/15, the first year of the English and maths requirement. The English and maths requirement has had a positive effect on attainment. In 2015, for 17-year-olds and over, entries in maths were up 30% while English entries rose by 23%. Last year there were over 4,000 more passes in English by students aged 17 and over and over 7,500 more maths passes. We also monitor in-year management information returns from further education institutions. In 2014/15, 97% of 16 to 19-year-olds without GCSE A*-C English and/or maths attending an FE institution continued their study of these subjects. [1] https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/level-1-and-2-english-and-maths-16-to-18-students-2013-to-2014.



Statistical First Release 35/2015
(PDF Document, 987.06 KB)

Science: Teachers

Baroness Byford: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they plan to shorten the teacher training period for graduates in life science subjects by allowing them to qualify in a single subject, such as physics, where there are shortages in qualified teacher numbers.

Lord Nash: It is for Initial Teacher Training (ITT) providers to use their professional judgement to determine how to structure the course. However, ITT courses must be designed so that teacher trainees can demonstrate by the end of their training that they meet all of the Teachers' Standards at the appropriate level. The Teachers’ Standards, revised in September 2012, set out the key elements of effective teaching and the minimum expectations for the professional practice and conduct of teachers. The Teachers’ Standards have been attached to this answer.Although it is already possible within existing flexibilities for schools and ITT providers to offer shorter or longer courses, the majority of postgraduate courses are one year in length. The National College for Teaching and Leadership is working with nine School Direct lead schools to pilot a shortened School Direct (salaried) route for physics and mathematics trainees. Findings from these pilots will be shared with the ITT sector to encourage other schools and ITT providers to use the existing flexibilities to meet their recruitment needs.



The Teachers’ Standards, revised September 2012
(PDF Document, 180.89 KB)

Faith Schools: Admissions

Baroness Lister of Burtersett: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the degree to which religious selection in schools leads to intakes that are socio-economically unrepresentative of their local area, and of the effect of the complexity of admission arrangements employed by religiously selective schools on the representativeness of such intakes.

Lord Nash: It is for admission authorities for all state-funded schools, including schools with a religious designation, to set and determine admission arrangements that comply with the mandatory provisions of the School Admissions Code and other admissions law. The code requires that all admissions arrangements must be fair and do not discriminate against pupils based on their social background, ethnicity or disability.The Schools Adjudicator investigates any objections raised in relation to schools’ admissions arrangements. Where an objection and the arrangements are found to be unfair or fail to comply with the code, the admission authority must make changes to ensure their arrangements are compliant within two months. Where an admission authority fails to implement decisions of the adjudicator, the Secretary of State may direct the admission authority to do so.

Faith Schools: Admissions

Baroness Lister of Burtersett: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they propose to take, if any, to reduce the complexity of the admission arrangements employed by religiously selective schools, as highlighted in the report An Unholy Mess published by the Fair Admissions Campaign and the British Humanist Association last year, and the 2014–15 annual report of the Chief Schools Adjudicator, so that all parents are better able to understand what is required to gain admission to their local school.

Baroness Lister of Burtersett: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what advice or guidance, if any, they propose to provide to schools, in particular to religiously selective schools, regarding compliance with the School Admissions Code, in the light of the findings of the report An Unholy Mess, published by the Fair Admissions Campaign and the British Humanist Association last year, that a significant number of schools are failing to comply with the Code in various ways.

Lord Nash: The Government will shortly consult on a package of changes to the School Admissions Code which will both respond to concerns from parents and to the findings in the Chief Adjudicator’s Annual Report. That package will include measures to improve fairness and transparency.Admission authorities for all state-funded schools, including schools with a religious designation, are required to comply with the mandatory provisions of the School Admissions Code and other admissions law.When constructing faith-based oversubscription criteria, including deciding how membership or practice of the faith will be determined, admission authorities must have regard to the guidance of their relevant religious authority, and their arrangements must comply with the statutory School Admissions Code. They must consult with their religious authority when proposing any changes to their admission arrangements.

Department for Education: Ministerial Policy Advisers

Lord Tyler: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the Department for Education will publish records of external meetings held by special advisers to its ministers.

Lord Nash: The Government publishes an unprecedented amount of data; departments publish details of Ministers’ and Permanent Secretaries’ meetings with external organisations, and Special Advisers' meetings with senior media figures. The information requested is not held centrally and there are no plans to extend current arrangements.

Teachers: Training

Lord Addington: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they are aware of any evidence that being taught by teachers trained in inclusive pedagogy is of benefit to pupils both with and without special educational needs.

Lord Addington: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they are aware of any evidence that being taught by teachers specifically trained in support and identification of special educational needs has a negative impact on pupils who do not have a special educational need.

Lord Nash: In order to be awarded qualified teacher status (QTS), trainees must satisfy the Teachers’ Standards, which include a requirement that they have a clear understanding of the needs of all pupils, including those with SEN, and are able to use and evaluate distinctive teaching approaches to engage and support them. The most important factor, as recognised by Ofsted, in supporting the best outcomes for all pupils with and without SEND, is the quality of teaching. All students benefit from high quality teaching supported by rigorous monitoring and good assessment, with specialist teachers where required.

Special Educational Needs

Lord Addington: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the most commonly occurring learning difficulties with which a teacher is expected to deal in the classroom.

Lord Nash: The Department uses the School Census to assess the prevalence and type of special educational need (SEN) in schools. In January 2015, moderate learning difficulty was the most common type of SEN recorded by schools. Autistic spectrum disorder was the most common need for those with a statement or Education Health and Care (EHC) plan.

Special Educational Needs

Lord Addington: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what estimate they have made of the percentage of pupils in an average class who will have some form of special educational need.

Lord Nash: The percentage of children with special educational needs is collected in the January schools census.In January 2015, 14.4% of pupils attending state funded primary schools and 14.3% attending state funded secondary schools were identified as having some form of special educational need. These figures include pupils with a statement of special educational needs, an Education, Health and Care plan, or children who receive SEN support. This figure does not include pupils who attend special schools or pupils who attend independent schools. Nationally, 15.4% of all pupils were identified as having special educational needs in January 2015.There has been a decline in the proportion of children with SEN since 2010 when 21.1% of pupils had SEN. This has occurred because the number of pupils with SEN without statements/ EHC plans has declined, due to more accurate identification of those with SEN following implementation of the SEND reforms.

Special Educational Needs

Lord Addington: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is the minimum required number of trained special educational needs support staff within a school.

Lord Nash: In order to be awarded qualified teacher status (QTS), all teacher trainees must satisfy the Teachers’ Standards, which include a requirement that they have a clear understanding of the needs of all pupils, including those with SEN, and are able to use and evaluate distinctive teaching approaches to engage and support them.Schools are responsible for deciding what external support to seek and for setting their own priorities for the continuous professional development of their staff. The SEN and Disability code of practice makes it clear that high quality teaching, differentiated for individual pupils, is the first step in responding to pupils who have or may have SEN. Schools should review, and, where necessary, improve teachers’ understanding of strategies to identify and support vulnerable pupils and their knowledge of the SEN more frequently encountered.The SEN and disability local offer, published by each local authority, must include arrangements in schools for securing expertise among teachers and other professionals to support pupils with SEN or disabilities. This should include professional development to secure that expertise.All mainstream schools, including Academies and free schools, and mainstream nursery schools are required to designate a member of staff, a SENCO, to co-ordinate provision for pupils with special educational needs. That person must be a qualified teacher. If that person has been a SENCO for less than twelve months, he or she must achieve a National Award in Special Educational Needs Co-ordination within three years of appointment.

English Baccalaureate

Lord Storey: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they plan to take following their consultation on the EBacc.

Lord Nash: The consultation closed on 29 January. We are currently considering the responses and plan to publish the government response in due course.

Teachers: Resignations

Lord Storey: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether any research has been carried out into the reasons for teachers leaving the profession, in the light of the cost to the public purse of training teachers.

Lord Nash: Teachers may choose to leave the profession for a variety of reasons. The Teacher Supply Model estimates the number of recruits required based on factors such as teachers leaving the profession. The Department is actively tackling issues that most often lead teachers to consider leaving, such as workload and poor pupil behaviour.

Ministry of Justice

Slavery: Prosecutions

Baroness Doocey: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many prosecutions have taken place under section 71 of the Coroners and Justice Act 2009 in each of the past three years.

Baroness Doocey: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many prosecutions have taken place under section 71 of the Coroners and Justice Act 2009 in each of the past three years where the victim was under 18 at the time of the commission of the offence.

Baroness Doocey: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many defendants have been convicted under section 71 of the Coroners and Justice Act 2009 in each of the past five years where the victim was under 18 at the time of the commission of the offence.

Lord Faulks: The number of defendants proceeded against at magistrates' courts for offences under section 71 Coroners and Justice Act 2009, in England & Wales, from 2012 to 2014 (the latest available) can be viewed in the attached table. The Ministry of Justice court proceedings database cannot identify the age of the victim of a crime; as such that information could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.Section 71 was repealed by the Modern Slavery Act 2015 and replaced by an equivalent offence. The repeal and new offence came into force on 31 July 2015.Defendants proceeded against at magistrates' court for offences under Section 71 Coroners and Justice Act 2009, England & Wales, 2012-2014(1)(2)Offence Outcome201220132014  Knowingly hold another person in slavery / servitude Proceeded against2619  Knowingly require another person to perform forced / compulsory labour Proceeded against246(1) The figures given in the table relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences it is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe.  (2) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used.  Source: Justice Statistics Analytical Services - Ministry of Justice.

Registered Intermediaries

Lord Ramsbotham: To ask Her Majesty’s Government when the Registered Intermediary Scheme will be extended to defendants in accordance with section 104 of the Coroners and Justice Act 2009.

Lord Faulks: We are currently considering the provision of intermediaries for vulnerable defendants as part of our on-going work around the communication needs of all vulnerable court users.The Judiciary can grant the use of an intermediary, to meet the needs of vulnerable defendants, to ensure a fair trial.

Registered Intermediaries

Lord Ramsbotham: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what are the terms of reference for the Ministry of Justice's internal review of the Registered Intermediary Scheme.

Lord Faulks: We are not currently undertaking a review of the Witness Intermediary Scheme. The provision of intermediaries forms part of our wider on-going work on the communication needs of all vulnerable court users.

Homicide: Parole

Lord Maginnis of Drumglass: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what stage they have reached in their consideration of amending legislation in order to ensure that convicted murderers who persist in refusing to reveal the location of bodies of victims are prevented from being released on parole; and when they expect to introduce legislation to that effect.

Lord Faulks: I can sympathise with the anguish caused to the families of victims where the whereabouts of their loved one is unknown and the offender wilfully fails to co-operate. Such behaviour is already taken into account by the court when sentencing the offender, and by the independent Parole Board when assessing an offender’s eligibility for possible release. The Prisons Minister has written to the Parole Board asking it to consider reviewing its guidelines on this issue.

The Lord Chairman of Committees

House of Lords: Catering

Lord Palmer: To ask the Chairman of Committees, further to his Written Answer on 10 February (HL5554), whether partners and spouses of Catering and Retail Services staff are also entitled to receive meals without charge.

Lord Laming: Partners and spouses are not entitled to receive meals without charge.

Department for Culture, Media and Sport

Broadband: Rural Areas

Baroness McIntosh of Pickering: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the impact on farmers and rural businesses of poor broadband provision in rural areas.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe: This Government recognises that all businesses need access to reliable, fast broadband to compete, innovate, increase productivity and have access to Government digital services. Superfast broadband now covers almost 90% of UK premises and this will increase to 95% by the end of next year as a result of the Government's Superfast Broadband Programme and further commercial delivery. Premises everywhere including rural areas which do not have speeds of at least 2 Megabits per second are able to access a subsidised broadband service, usually delivered through a satellite connection, which can deliver speeds of 10Mbps or more. The Prime Minister has also announced the Government's intention to implement a new broadband Universal Service Obligation (USO) and our ambition to set this at 10Mbps. This new broadband USO will give people the legal right to request an affordable broadband connection, at a minimum speed, up to a reasonable cost threshold, no matter where they live.

National Media Museum

Lord Greaves: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what discussions they have had with the National Media Museum, the Victoria and Albert Museum, the Royal Photographic Society, Bradford City Council, and any other relevant bodies, about the move of 400,000 items from Bradford to London; and whether they have offered any advice on that matter.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe: An error has been identified in the written answer given on 23 February 2016.The correct answer should have been:

Member houses of the Historic Houses Association make an important contribution to the UK's tourism industry. They attract over 24 million visits per year with a total visitor spend of £1bn; and support 41,000 jobs. Government has made no specific assessment of the possible closures of these historic houses. DCMS continues to work with the HHA and others, including the Heritage Lottery Fund, to support privately owned heritage. DCMS museums operate at arm’s length from government and the transfer of objects between national museums is a matter for the boards of the museums. The transfer of part of the Royal Photographic Society’s collection has been carefully considered by the Trustees of the Science Museum, who approved the transfer of the objects to the V&A, with the Royal Photographic Society also approving the transfer. The Department was informed of this in December 2015. Bradford City Council was regularly consulted while the matter was under consideration. The National Media Museum took this decision in order to focus its offering more effectively, while ensuring that the Royal Photographic Collection is preserved.The V&A intend to store, digitise and make the photographic collection available as part of its planned International Photography Resource Centre, which will provide the public with a world-class facility to access the consolidated collection.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe: Member houses of the Historic Houses Association make an important contribution to the UK's tourism industry. They attract over 24 million visits per year with a total visitor spend of £1bn; and support 41,000 jobs. Government has made no specific assessment of the possible closures of these historic houses. DCMS continues to work with the HHA and others, including the Heritage Lottery Fund, to support privately owned heritage. DCMS museums operate at arm’s length from government and the transfer of objects between national museums is a matter for the boards of the museums. The transfer of part of the Royal Photographic Society’s collection has been carefully considered by the Trustees of the Science Museum, who approved the transfer of the objects to the V&A, with the Royal Photographic Society also approving the transfer. The Department was informed of this in December 2015. Bradford City Council was regularly consulted while the matter was under consideration. The National Media Museum took this decision in order to focus its offering more effectively, while ensuring that the Royal Photographic Collection is preserved.The V&A intend to store, digitise and make the photographic collection available as part of its planned International Photography Resource Centre, which will provide the public with a world-class facility to access the consolidated collection.

Historic Buildings

Lord Stevenson of Balmacara: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of the Historic Housing Association report, The Economic and Social Contribution of Independently Owned Historic Houses and Gardens, what assessment they have made of the possible closure of 70 historic buildings over the next five years, and what, if any, steps they are taking to support those business during this period.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe: Member houses of the Historic Houses Association make an important contribution to the UK's tourism industry. They attract over 24 million visits per year with a total visitor spend of £1bn; and support 41,000 jobs. Government has made no specific assessment of the possible closures of these historic houses. DCMS continues to work with the HHA and others, including the Heritage Lottery Fund, to support privately owned heritage.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Water

Baroness Byford: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what are the results from the latest Blueprint for Water Scorecard as launched on 6 November 2012.

Lord Gardiner of Kimble: Blueprint for Water is an ongoing campaign of Non-Government Organisations that make an assessment against the scorecard they have produced. Government has already taken substantive action to protect and improve the water environment. For example, through reducing phosphate pollution in rivers from sewage works by a fifth and ammonia by a sixth compared to 2010 through investment at almost 500 sewage treatment works. Also, £87 million invested in local actions to restore our rivers and this has supported projects to improve over nearly 10,000 miles of rivers Looking ahead, £900 million has been made available under Countryside Stewardship for environmental action by farmers and there are plans by water companies to invest £3.5 billion. These investments, together with other actions, are drawn together in River Basin Management Plans which contain a comprehensive programme for the water environment up to 2021 and which will be published soon. Since the Water Scorecard of 2012, Blueprint for Water published a further report ‘Water Matters’ in September 2015. The Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs accepted an invitation from the group to speak at the launch of this report in the Palace of Westminster, hosted by the hon. Member for Richmond Park, Zac Goldsmith. In her speech the Secretary of State made it clear that Government shares many of the long-term outcomes put forward by the Blueprint for Water and went on to explain how Government intends to pursue them through the 25 Year Plan for the Environment. Blueprint and its constituent organisations will have an opportunity to contribute to this plan as it is refined further over summer and autumn 2016.

Agriculture: Subsidies

Baroness Byford: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many farmers were not in receipt of the Basic Payment Scheme payments by the end of January 2016; and whether any of those payments are expected to be paid to those living in areas affected by flooding in 2016.

Lord Gardiner of Kimble: The Rural Payments Agency started making Basic Payment Scheme payments to farmers from December 2015. At the end of January 2016 we had paid 66,800 some £1 billion, leaving just under 20,300 not paid. We had paid 600 farmers affected by the floods by the end of January and are prioritising the remainder for payment as promptly as possible.Farmers affected by flooding from Storm Desmond and Eva can apply for up to £20,000 grant funding from the Farming Recovery Fund (until 1 April) to help restore damaged agricultural land. Farmers wanting to apply for the grant can find the application form and guidance on GOV.UK or call the Rural Services Helpline on 03000 200 301.

Home Office

Immigration: EU Nationals

Lord Kinnock: To ask Her Majesty’s Government which statistics from local and national sources they use to measure or demonstrate pressures on public education, health, housing and other services in the UK as a consequence of migration from other EU member states.

Lord Bates: The Office for National Statistics (ONS) published a report based on 2011 census data, on the changing levels of the non-UK born population in every local area, available at http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/census/2011-census/key-statistics-for-local-authorities-in-england-and-wales/rpt-international-migrants.html#tab-Local-geography-of-non-UK-born-and-non-UK-nationals.The Home Office also published a research report ‘The Social and Public Service Impacts of International Migration at the Local Level’ (July 2013) which shows the local authorities that have been particularly affected by international migration, including migration from the European Union member states (https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/210324/horr72.pdf).



International Migrants in England and Wales 2011
(PDF Document, 367.75 KB)




Impacts of International Migration
(PDF Document, 2.22 MB)

Health Services: Foreign Nationals

Baroness Quin: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what estimate they have made of the start-up and annual costs of administering the new health and dental charges for New Zealand citizens coming into force on 6 April.

Lord Bates: An Impact Assessment was published on 4 February 2016, alongside the draft Immigration (Health Charge) (Amendment) Order 2016. The draft Order will, subject to Parliamentary approval, remove the surcharge exemption for nationals of Australia and New Zealand and reduce the Youth Mobility Scheme charge from £200 to £150.The Impact Assessment, which can be viewed at the link below, sets out the reason for these changes and estimates associated costs and benefits: http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukdsi/2016/9780111143278/impactsThese documents are available in the following locations of the House: The Vote Office (Commons) Printed Paper Office (Lords)



Impact Assessment
(PDF Document, 227.61 KB)

Immigration

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many persons or family groups have received exceptional leave to enter or remain in the UK, outside the normal rules, for purposes of family re-union, in each year since 2011; and in each of those years, how many of those individuals given leave were related in ways other than as spouses or children under 18.

Lord Bates: The specific information is not available in the format requested.

European Union: Borders

Lord Stoddart of Swindon: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Statement by Lord Bates on 2 February (HLWS495), whether they intend to resist any proposal to allow the EU border guard to intervene directly in member states; and what assessment they have made of whether such an extension of EU powers would be made by way of treaty change and a UK referendum.

Lord Bates: The proposal for a European Border and Coast Guard builds on provisions of the Schengen agreement in which the UK does not participate; the UK will not therefore be bound by the new regulation.The UK is supportive of steps to increase the security of the external Schengen border - we have a strong interest in effective management of the Schengen external border, not just in combating illegal migration, and cross-border crime but also as part of the EU-wide counter-terrorism effort.In the Commission’s view there is sufficient basis in the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU) to take forward the clause which allows for intervention, without change to the Treaty.

France: Immigration Controls

Lord True: To ask Her Majesty’s Government which parts of the Treaty of Le Touquet between the United Kingdom and France are dependent on the existence of the Treaties of the European Union, or incorporated within them.

Lord True: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have received any indication from the government of France that it would unilaterally abrogate the Treaty of Le Touquet were the people of the UK to vote to leave the European Union.

Lord Bates: Juxtaposed Controls were introduced for short sea crossings by the “Treaty Between the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the Government of the French Republic Concerning the Implementation of Frontier Controls at the Sea ports of Both Countries on the Channel and North Sea”, signed at Le Touquet on 4 February 2003.This bilateral agreement between the UK and France provides for immigration controls to be conducted by the country of arrival in designated control zones in the country of departure at both French and UK sea ports on the Channel and North Sea, including Calais and Dunkirk in France, and Dover in the UK.The Le Touquet Treaty is an agreement concluded between the UK and France under international law. The UK and France have an excellent relationship and work closely together to secure the UK/France border, including at sea ports on the Channel and the North Sea.The Le Touquet Treaty has resulted in a reduced number of asylum claims and continues to be a valuable part of our border security.

Refugees: France

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the remarks by Lord Bates on 9 February (HL Deb, col GC142), which British personnel or organisations are now "search[ing] out the most vulnerable in the camps at Calais and Dunkirk".

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they or the EU plan to produce a simple guide to the Dublin III Regulations for potential applicants for asylum and their advisers; and if so, whether that guide will be made available, at least in English and French, at refugee camps in Calais and Dunkirk, and at other points of entry into the EU.

Lord Bates: In line with the UK-France Joint Declaration of 20 August 2015, the UK and France have increased the frequency of joint communications campaigns which involve speaking to migrants in Calais and Dunkirk to inform them of their options and providing advice on their rights to claim asylum in France. This includes speaking to vulnerable people and those who claim a link to family members in the UK. But we are very clear that the primary responsibility for the welfare and treatment of migrants in Calais lies with the French authorities.A leaflet detailing the Dublin III Regulations is provided to applicants who have claimed asylum in France and indicate that they have family members in the UK.The UK is also funding a project to identify those in the camps who are especially vulnerable and at risk of trafficking and exploitation, and to provide them with appropriate support within the French system.

Refugees: France

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of whether the UN High Commissioner for Refugees has access to the refugees in camps at Calais and Dunkirk; and if not, whether they will discuss the matter with the government of France.

Lord Bates: The UK is in regular contact with France on all matters related to Calais and the migration situation, and engages with EU and multilateral partners, including the UN on a wide range of migration issues in order to find an effective and sustainable solution.The management of the migrant camps in Calais is the responsibility of the French Government. However, we understand that the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has made visits to the camps in Calais and Dunkirk, and we note the welcome given by the UNHCR to the joint declaration to address the issues in Calais signed by the UK and France on 20 August 2015.

European Arrest Warrants

Lord Rowlands: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what discussions they have had with the European Commission on when their revision of the European Arrest Warrant handbook will be issued.

Lord Bates: We continue to press the European Commission to revise the European Arrest Warrant handbook as soon as possible, in particular as it relates to proportionality. We have done so through both working groups in Brussels and bilateral contact.

European Arrest Warrants

Lord Rowlands: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what information they have on how many European Arrest Warrants were sought by individual member states in 2015, and how many were executed.

Lord Bates: Figures for 2015 calendar year are not yet available. They will be released by the National Crime Agency when they have been verified later in the year. Figures for previous years are publically available at the National Crime Agency’s website at: http://www.nationalcrimeagency.gov.uk/publications/european-arrest-warrant-statistics

Immigrants: Detainees

Lord Patten: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Bates on 22 January (HL4915), what is the longest period that any individual detainee has been held in an immigration detention centre.

Lord Bates: Information on the length of detention has been published since quarter 1 (January to March) 2010.The longest time a person has been detained in the immigration estate - a foreign criminal who left detention and was returned to Algeria in Q1 2012 - was 2,319 days. The individual in this case had accumulated 14 convictions from 32 offences committed between 1998 and 2004, including - but not limited to - convictions for firearms/ shotguns/offensive weapons, drug offences, offences relating to police/courts/prisons and theft. He was continuously non-compliant with the Home Office and Algerian authorities, using a false identity and nationality, which frustrated attempts to obtain travel documentation to facilitate his deportation. His continued non-compliance, deception and a history of absconding led to detention being prolonged. This information does not include those held in prisons solely under Immigration Act powers.The Home Office publishes quarterly and annual statistics on the number of people detained in the United Kingdom for immigration purposes, within the Immigration Statistics release on the GOV.UK website: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/home-office/series/immigration-statistics-quarterly-release

Asylum: EU Countries

Lord Higgins: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what information they have about whether government documents are being issued by EU member states to those seeking asylum in countries in the Schengen area while they await a decision on their application for asylum.

Lord Bates: Under Article 6 of the Reception Conditions Directive 2013/13, EU member states are required to ensure that asylum applicants seeking international protection within their territory are provided with a document showing their status as an applicant or testifying that person is allowed to stay in the member state whilst the application is pending or being examined.The process for issuing such a document will vary from country to country.

Police Custody: Health Services

Lord Mawson: To ask Her Majesty’s Government why they decided to cancel the transfer of police custody healthcare services to the NHS after several years of preparation; whether that change in policy was announced to Parliament; and what assessment they have made of how that decision will ensure equivalent standards and quality of healthcare and safety of patients in all police services across England and Wales.

Lord Mawson: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of the decision to cancel the transfer of police custody healthcare services to the NHS, what assessment they have made of the minimum standards of training, skills and competence for healthcare professionals working in a police custody setting; and what steps they have taken to advise Police and Crime Commissioners about the need to adhere to such minimum standards for all healthcare professionals, as recommended by the Faculty of Forensic and Legal Medicine, the UK Association of Forensic Nurses, and the College of Paramedics.

Lord Mawson: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of the decision to cancel the transfer of police custody healthcare services to the NHS, whether they will put into place, and ensure the appropriate funding for, any recommendations made about minimum standards and quality of such police custody healthcare services for vulnerable detainees as a result of the forthcoming independent review of deaths and serious incidents in police custody.

Lord Mawson: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Bates on 18 January (HL4835), for what reasons the Home Secretary, Theresa May, has decided that the reallocation of custody healthcare "would not be appropriate at this time".

Lord Bates: The decision not to pursue the transfer of custody healthcare commissioning from Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs) to NHS England was taken in the context of wider decisions about the Provisional Police Funding Settlement for 2016/17, details of which were announced to Parliament in a written statement by the Minister of State for Policing, Crime and Criminal Justice and Victims on 17 December.The Government is clear that Police and Crime Commissioners should retain full flexibility to be able to prioritise resources towards police custody healthcare functions based on their local needs.A number of sources of information and guidance are available to PCCs to inform their commissioning of custody healthcare services.The Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1983 (PACE) sets out the statutory framework for custodial care and the rights and entitlements of a detainee in police custody. The College of Policing, as the professional body for policing, has published Approved Professional Practice (APP) on custody and detention. Police officers and staff are expected to have regard to the APP in discharging their responsibilities.The APP references wider guidance published by professional medical bodies including the Faculty of Forensic and Legal Medicine. In addition there is a NHS England national service specification setting out clinical standards for the commissioning and provision of police custody healthcare functions. This is currently being reviewed and updated.In many police force areas the close ties which PCCs have established to local NHS England commissioners over recent years have already helped to drive up the standards and quality of provision. On 11 February my Rt Hon Friend the Home Secretary and my Right Honourable Friend the Secretary of State for Health wrote to Police and Crime Commissioners and NHS England Commissioners encouraging them to continue to build upon this work to further improve healthcare service delivery.Any recommendations made by the forthcoming independent review of deaths and serious incidents in police custody will be carefully considered in due course.

HM Treasury

Banks: Fines

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they plan to take to clarify the tax rules relating to fines imposed on banks.

Lord O'Neill of Gatley: Fines imposed as a punishment by regulators are non-deductible for UK Corporation Tax purposes, while compensation expenditure arising from trading activity is in principle deductible. However, the government took steps in Finance Act (No2) 2015 to make compensation associated with bank misconduct and mis-selling non-deductible and offset the deductibility of administrative costs associated with this compensation through a taxable receipt. This action is forecast by the OBR to increase banks’ tax payments by around £1bn over the next 5 years.

Bank Notes

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the case for £50 notes no longer being issued by central banks in order to help tackle crime.

Lord O'Neill of Gatley: The Government is fully committed to fighting all forms of financial crime, including money laundering and terrorist financing. In 2010, UK banks voluntarily withdrew the €500 note from sale in this country on the basis of analysis from our law enforcement agencies regarding its use by criminal groups. Such high denomination notes are attractive to criminals due to their high-value to low-volume ratio. By contrast, the highest denomination note issued by the Bank of England is the £50 note whose value is far less than that of truly high denomination notes. Furthermore, the £50 note plays an important role as a reliable store-of-value and enables financial inclusion.

Public Finance

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to impose large extra tax rises or spending cuts at short notice in order to meet their target of cutting the deficit by 2019–20.

Lord O'Neill of Gatley: The government has set out a fixed target to achieve a surplus on the headline measure of public sector net borrowing by the end of 2019-20. This is a transparent commitment showing the government’s resolve to complete the repair of the public finances. The Spending Review and Autumn Statement set out the action required to return the country to surplus over the course of this Parliament and on the basis of the latest Office for Budget Responsibility forecast in their November 2015 ‘Economic and fiscal outlook’ the government is forecast to achieve a surplus of £10.1bn by the end of 2019-20.

Treasury: Ministerial Policy Advisers

Lord Tyler: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether HM Treasury will publish records of external meetings held by special advisers to its ministers.

Lord O'Neill of Gatley: This Government regularly publishes an unprecedented amount of transparency information including Special Advisers’ meetings with senior media figures. There are no plans to extend current arrangements.

Channel Four Television

Baroness Bonham-Carter of Yarnbury: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many meetings took place between May 2015 and January 2016 inclusive, in which ministers from HM Treasury discussed the future of Channel 4.

Lord O'Neill of Gatley: HM Treasury Ministers and officials have both regular discussions with colleagues and meetings with a wide variety of organisations in the public and private sectors as part of the process of policy development and delivery. It is not government practice to release details of routine officials’ discussions as to do so would be impracticable and potentially prejudice the effective conduct of public policy development. Details of ministerial and permanent secretary meetings with external organisations on departmental business are published on a quarterly basis and are available on the gov.uk website.

Channel Four Television

Baroness Bonham-Carter of Yarnbury: To ask Her Majesty’s Government on what dates between May 2015 and January 2016 inclusive, meetings took place in which ministers from HM Treasury discussed the future of Channel 4.

Lord O'Neill of Gatley: HM Treasury Ministers and officials have both regular discussions with colleagues and meetings with a wide variety of organisations in the public and private sectors as part of the process of policy development and delivery. It is not government practice to release details of routine officials’ discussions as to do so would be impracticable and potentially prejudice the effective conduct of public policy development. Details of ministerial and permanent secretary meetings with external organisations on departmental business are published on a quarterly basis and are available on the gov.uk website.

Business

Baroness Jowell: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what estimate they have made of the potential contribution of profit-with-purpose companies to UK gross value added.

Lord O'Neill of Gatley: Non-profit institutions accounted for 3.1 per cent of real GDP in 2014, with the output of this sector increasing 0.9 per cent over the same period. ONS data do not produce statistics for ‘profit-with-purpose’ companies.

Department for Energy and Climate Change

Smart Energy Code Panel

Baroness Featherstone: To ask Her Majesty’s Government why Citizens Advice and Citizens Advice Scotland have the exclusive rights to nominate people for two of the seats on the Smart Energy Code Panel, as specified in paragraph C3.4 of that Code.

Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth: The Government considers that it is important that the interests of energy consumers are represented on the SEC Panel. The current arrangements were consulted on in the Government’s Smart Energy Code Consultation in April 2012, and were concluded in the Government Responses in November 2012 and April 2013. The Government concluded that Consumer Futures, as the exclusive statutory consumer body in the energy sector, was best placed to nominate consumer representatives for the Panel. These statutory responsibilities were transferred to Citizens Advice and Citizens Advice Scotland when Consumer Futures was abolished in 2014.

Department of Energy and Climate Change: Legislation

Baroness Smith of Basildon: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what advice has been provided this Session for ministers or senior officials in the Department of Energy and Climate Change on whether to use secondary legislation or primary legislation for significant legislation.

Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth: There has been no change in approach to the use of primary and secondary legislation since the General Election. Each piece of legislation is approached within the context of the policy and the existing legislative framework. There is no evidence of an increase in the number of statutory instruments laid since 2010 or since the General Election. Briefing produced by the House of Commons Library (CBP 7438) shows that the number of statutory instruments laid before the House of Commons peaked at 1,885 in the 2005-06 session, compared to 1,378 last session and 540 so far this session.

Boilers: Standards

Baroness Byford: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they collect statistics on the durability of condensing boilers; and if so, how they compare with the types of boilers they have replaced.

Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth: The Government does not collect statistics on the durability of condensing boilers.

Department of Energy and Climate Change: Ministerial Policy Advisers

Lord Tyler: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the Department of Energy and Climate Change will publish records of external meetings held by special advisers to its ministers.

Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth: The Government publishes an unprecedented amount of data; departments publish details of Ministers and Permanent Secretaries meetings' with external organisations, and Special Advisers' meetings with senior media figures. The information requested is not held centrally and there are no plans to extend current arrangements”

Cabinet Office

Police and Crime Commissioners: Elections

Lord Wasserman: To ask Her Majesty’s Government when the purdah period begins in respect of the forthcoming elections of Police and Crime Commissioners.

Lord Bridges of Headley: The purdah period for Government departments in respect of the forthcoming Police and Crime Commissioner elections will begin on 14 April 2016.

Freedom of Information

Lord Storey: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether there are any restrictions on the number of Freedom of Information requests an individual can make.

Lord Bridges of Headley: The Freedom of Information Act does not place a specific limit on the number of requests an individual can make. However, a request or series of requests for similar information may be refused where they exceed the cost limit, or are vexatious or repeated requests.

Department of Health

NHS: Bain and Company

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what procurement process was followed to commission Bain and Company to support the vanguard programme in NHS England in deciding how to invest transformation funds; what is the value of that consultancy contract; and how value for money in that contract was established.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the experience that Bain and Company has to assess evidence to support transformation and potential for replication in terms of health services in the NHS context.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how NHS England are ensuring that there is no conflict in how Bain and Company supports both vanguards in their application for funds, and NHS England in deciding how to allocate funds.

Lord Prior of Brampton: The Healthcare Financial Management Association (HFMA) commissioned Bain and Company to support vanguards as an extension to work previously commissioned from the company as part of a programme called Future Focused Finance, an initiative sponsored by the Department of Health and arm’s length bodies. This earlier work for the HFMA had focused on the design of a value-based decision effectiveness tool, piloted in Mid-Cheshire and Liverpool. The HFMA, in partnership with NHS England, commissioned the extension to this work so that the tool could be used to support value-based decision-making in the 2016-17 New Care Models programme. Alternatives were not sought from competitors because the vanguard support built on the original Bain and Company work for the HFMA. The value of the vanguard support contract is £650,000. Value for money was obtained by negotiation, having been benchmarked with other commissions made by the National Health Service to external health consultancies.  As part of the contract, Bain and Company will be handing over its approach to NHS England, so that NHS England can support other areas in implementing new care models. Bain and Company has not been commissioned to assess evidence to support transformation and potential for replication of new care models in other areas. The company is commissioned to develop and implement a framework that appropriately experienced NHS staff can use to assess such evidence. Intellectual property rights in respect of the framework in the future are assigned to HFMA under the terms of the contract. The NHS is entitled to use the framework free of charge in perpetuity. Bain and Company is involved in the development of the tool used to make the assessment, and in the implementation of the process to use that tool. The company is specifically commissioned to help vanguard sites to use the tool and to summarise the resulting value propositions to facilitate decision-making by NHS England. No conflict of interest arises as decisions concerning funding allocations for individual vanguards are made by NHS England's Executive Team and Investment Committee and not Bain and Company.

NHS Direct

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what estimate they made of the costs of closing NHS Direct at the time of the decision, and what was the actual cost of closing NHS Direct.

Lord Prior of Brampton: NHS Direct NHS Trust’s Final Report and Accounts, published in June 2014, set out decommissioning costs of £69.2 million for 2012/13. The Trust’s business case, submitted for approval of the transaction for its dissolution which took effect on 1 April 2014, included an estimated cost of closure of £36.3 million in 2014/15. The Final Report and Accounts showed the decommissioning costs for this year to be £17.6 million.

Chiropody

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Prior of Brampton on 27 January (HL5180), how they will ensure that the forecast increase in the level of podiatry commissions by 2020 will be met by the podiatry workforce; and what assessment they have made of the risks presented by the reduction in Health Education England commissioned student places in 2016–17 and the end of bursaries in August 2017.

Lord Prior of Brampton: Health Education England (HEE) operates an annual comprehensive planning process to ensure their investments meet the future needs of the population. This process determines the education commissioning volumes for the following financial year. The HEE Commissioning and Investment Plan – 2016/17 includes a forecast increase in the available supply of podiatrists into the National Health Service workforce of 36.4% by 2020. The forecast reflects the planned commissions but also the net effect of different levels of non-retirement, leavers and joiners other than from HEE training programmes. HEE local teams are responsible for assessing the forecast supply and demand. The activity of gathering evidence, modelling and decision making at the local level is supported by Partnership Councils, including NHS and non-NHS service providers. The Department will run a consultation on how the funding reforms for nursing, midwifery and allied health education can be most successfully implemented. We currently expect to consult during March 2016. As part of this, an economic impact assessment and equality impact assessment will be published. HEE will continue to have a central role in the commissioning of nursing, midwifery and allied health courses which will include podiatry. They will continue to provide sufficient clinical placement funding for those places needed to meet the workforce planning needs of the NHS. We estimate that the reforms will allow universities to be able to offer up to 10,000 more nursing, midwifery and allied health training places over this parliament.

HIV Infection

Lord Black of Brentwood: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the recent finding by the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine that pre-exposure prophylaxis could reduce HIV rates in men who have sex with men in the UK by between 40 and 60 per cent.

Lord Black of Brentwood: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to make pre-exposure prophylaxis available in England to men who have sex with men in England who are at high risk of HIV.

Lord Prior of Brampton: NHS England is working with local authorities, clinicians, patient representatives and Public Health England to consider the clinical and cost effectiveness of providing pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) to groups at increased risk to prevent them acquiring HIV. This includes a full review and analysis of published literature in this area. The PrEP clinical policy proposition is one of many going through NHS England’s 2016/17 prioritisation round.

Human Papillomavirus: Vaccination

Lord Black of Brentwood: To ask Her Majesty’s Government when a vaccine will be procured for the human papilloma virus vaccination programme for men who have sex with men.

Lord Black of Brentwood: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the procurement of a human papilloma virus vaccination programme currently taking place includes the vaccine needed for men who have sex with men.

Lord Black of Brentwood: To ask Her Majesty’s Government when the human papilloma virus vaccination programme for men who have sex with men will commence.

Lord Prior of Brampton: The Department and Public Health England are currently undertaking a procurement exercise to secure vaccine to support the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination programme for girls. The procurement will take account of the costs and benefits of all vaccines offered to establish which provides best value for money for the National Health Service. In November 2015, the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI), the expert body that advises the Government on all immunisation matters, advised that a targeted HPV vaccination programme should be undertaken for men who have sex with men up to 45 years of age who attend genitourinary medicine and HIV clinics. They noted that this should be subject to procurement of the vaccine and delivery of the programme at a cost-effective price. The JCVI acknowledged that finding a way to implement its advice would be challenging and made clear that work was needed by the Department and others to consider commissioning and delivery routes for this programme. This work is already underway and we will announce our plans as soon as we can.

Incontinence

Baroness Greengross: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether Clinical Commissioning Groups and NHS trusts are responsible for the funding or provision of incontinence pads to residents of (1) care homes for personal care, and (2) care homes with nursing care.

Lord Prior of Brampton: There is no legal requirement to supply these products. The criteria for the provisioning of continence products are set by individual clinical commissioning groups (CCGs). To support CCGs, NHS England has recently published new guidance to help improve the care and experience of children and adults with continence issues. This encourages much greater collaboration between health and social care. A copy of the guidance Excellence in continence care is attached. 



Excellence in continence care
(PDF Document, 414.28 KB)

Hepatitis: Drugs

Lord Mancroft: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Prior of Brampton on 4 January (HL4665) about access to hepatitis C treatment, how frequently NHS England will publish reports on the minimum data set and when the first set of data on patients being treated will be published.

Lord Prior of Brampton: Public Health England (PHE) is working with NHS England and the Clinical Leads of the Operational Delivery Networks to ensure that a minimum data set is collected to allow monitoring of patients being treated. This will be used to support commissioning and planning of these services. PHE plans to publish summary data on people being treated in the annual report on hepatitis C. No timetable for publication has been agreed.

Hepatitis: Prisoners

Lord Mancroft: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to develop prison health workers' understanding of the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of hepatitis C.

Lord Mancroft: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what progress Operational Delivery Networks have made in establishing services for prisoners diagnosed with hepatitis C.

Lord Prior of Brampton: NHS England, Public Heath England, the National Offender Management Service and other organisations including the Royal College of General Practitioners have developed resources to support prison healthcare teams in delivering a blood-borne virus (BBV) opt-out testing programme. This covers all aspects of prevention, diagnosis and treatment of hepatitis C (HCV) and other BBVs including testing, managing positive and negative test results, providing advice on harm minimisation and supporting prisoners into treatment. Specialised HCV Operational Delivery Networks (ODNs) ensure specialist oversight of HCV services in order maximise uptake and completion of HCV treatment. NHS England has linked every prison to the relevant ODN and a service specification for ODNs directs specialist service providers to accept patients from prisons.

Bread: Folic Acid

Lord Stoddart of Swindon: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of how many individuals would receive medical or health benefits from eating bread fortified by folic acid.

Lord Prior of Brampton: We have made no such assessment.

Department of Health: Ministerial Policy Advisers

Lord Tyler: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the Department of Health will publish records of external meetings held by special advisers to its ministers.

Lord Prior of Brampton: The Government publishes an unprecedented amount of data; departments publish details of Ministers’ and Permanent Secretaries’ meetings with external organisations, and special advisers' meetings with senior media figures. The information requested is not held centrally and there are no plans to extend current arrangements.

Neurology

Baroness Walmsley: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assurances the Department of Health has received that neurology services will not be disadvantaged in comparison to other condition areas by the absence of national clinical leadership for neurology services, in the light of NHS England’s decision not to renew the role of National Clinical Director for adult neurology.

Lord Prior of Brampton: Sir Bruce Keogh, NHS England’s Medical Director, has undertaken a review of the National Clinical Director (NCD) resource designed to focus clinical advisory resources on areas where major programmes of work are currently being taking forward, or areas identified as priorities for improvement. As a result of the review, NHS England has proposed to change the way in which clinical advice is received in speciality areas in the future. Where there will no longer be a specific NCD role, NHS England will secure expert clinical advice from its Clinical Networks and through its relationships with professional bodies and by appointing clinical advisors. For neurology it is planned that access to advice will be through clinical leads and members of the NHS England-funded neurology clinical networks, the Neurology Clinical Reference Group and Royal Colleges. It is expected that these new arrangements will be in place from 1 April 2016. The Neurology Intelligence Network (NIN) is a joint partnership programme between Public Health England (PHE) and NHS England to support the generation and dissemination of neurology related health intelligence. PHE currently funds the on-going design, development and management of the NIN.